Ski-scooter



o. H. DUNKEL 2,460,815

SKI-scooTER Feb. s, 1949.

Filed Nov. 21, 1946 INVENTOR. O'rro H. DUNKEL a "2z l Bymm A TTORNEYS l Patented Feb. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT AorrlcE-- SKI-SCOOTER otto H. nonkel, Detroit, Mit-h.I Application November 21', 194e, serial No. 711,349

This invention relates to Winter sporting equip'- ment and particularly to a Skiing device upon which a rider may sit or stand. y

An important object of this invention is to provide an improved type of device nfor gliding over snow and ice which is formed of parts ecos claims. wieso-eze) nomical to manufacture and assemble and which 1 provides a place for the rider to either stand or sit at `his convenience. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel type of apparatus for winter sports which is provided With a Snow engaging runner of `a size to accommodate both feet of thexoccupant and a handle and seat coristruction which are associated together in a novel Vmanner to distribute the Weight of the rider and mutually strengthen one another. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel device of this character which 'is in the form of a skiscooter and is provided with a handle adjustable in height to suit the convenience of the rider and a resiliently supported seat which is constructed in such a manner as to prevent injury in the event of a mishap.I A novel feature of the device is the shape of theY seat support which l not only serves as a spring for the seat but is so shaped and related to the other parts of the device that it serves as a brace for the legs of the rider;

Other objects, advantages and meritorious eatures of this invention will become more fully apparent from the following specication, ap-

pended claims wherein: Y'

Fig. l is a perspective view of the assembled skiing device of this invention,

and accompanying drawing,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the v skiing device of Figi l along line v2--2 thereof showing parts of the device in section, and I y Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view along line 3=3 oi' Fig. 1 illustrating in larger scale the method of connecting the upright handle support twice the width of normal Sied shoes. At" ab pifoxiiately midway betwefithe endsof the` runner slightly raised or elevated platform I4 is provided as indicated in Fig. 1'. Supported on this raised or elevated portion of the runner is an upright support generally indicated at I6 carrying a handle which may be grasped by both hands of' the rider. The upright supporting structure as shown in Fig. 2 preferably comprises a instal tubular member I8 supported at its lower endby a collar 20 having a widened base secured in any suitable 'manner to the elevated portion of the runner, such asby bolts 22. The upper end or trie-tubular member' ls open and telescopingly receives a second tubular member of shaft 24 which is'preferaoly of such a dimension as to slidably engage the inner surface of tho'tubular member 2t'. Supported on the upper end of the tubular member 24 is a cross member 26 serving as thev handle previously described. As shown, the upright handle supporting Structure I6 "is mounted adjacent to the front end of the raised platform m of the runner.

`Rearvlnirdly of the upright handle supporting rstructure I6 is a seat 3U 'upon which the rider may sit. This seat is. supported by a curved member 32 Which isy bowed forwardly for connection to the upright support I6 intermediate its ,ends and thence downwardly and rearwardly for i in Fig. 3 and oi such resiliency that the seat 30 Yis spring supported. In order to mutually supiifi port one another, the upright structure ls and theV seat Supporting member 32 are interconriected preferably in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3; An elongated bolt member 34 is provided Vwhicl'l eitends through both the tubular member it forwardly bowed portion of the tubular nleinber 32, and a wing-out 36 or other suitable means on the end ofthe bolt is employedlior tightly securing the two tubular members together. v.

. Bypro'vidi'ng a tubular 'member 32 for the seat support there is no danger of injury in the event 'that the vski-scooter should strike some obstruction and is damaged. The tubular member 32 will not break in theevent of such impact but ,merely bend if the impact is of such a degree of force as to damage the seat lsupporting member. The forward extension and connection of the seat supporting member -32 to the upright IB provides a brace Ybetween the' legs of the rider which` :assists the rider in his swaying movements `from one side toA theother to tilt the l by .wing-nuts 42. I Iheight of the handle is desired to be adjusted, the

Y structure I 6.

device for making turns. -The tubular d mension of the seat supporting member 32 is thev rider and in use the feet of the rider are supported on the elevated yportion I4 immediately Vrearwardly of the upright I'B and side by side.

The bracing action of the tubular member be- .tween the legs provides' a greater control over leans or-swaysfrom one side to' thev other, he can controlv the action of the runner by pressure exerted by his legs upon either side of the seat supporting member 32 along that portion which As shown in Fig. 3,.

extends between his legs. I the seat supporting member has a lateral dimension which is considerably less than the width of the runnerand extends in a vertical plane;

corresponding withthe longitudinal median line of the runner.

sameftime receive a bracing support therefrom when leaning from one side to theother.

Preferably the handle-25 is adjustable vertically to-suit the convenience of the rider. .This is accomplished by providing each telescoping portion of the two tubular members I8 and 24 with aseries of holes-38 whichextend from one side to the! ably less than the width of the runner whereby a rider may with both of his feet on the runner such that it does not interfere with the legs of fthe movement of the ski-runner. -As the rider straddle the frame member and guide the movement of the device.V

V2.*A skiing deviceA comprising, in combintion, la single'ski-runner having a width substantially twice the width of a Vshoe worn by the rider of the device, a substantially upright member secured at its lower end to the runnerV approximately'mid-way between the .end-s thereof and carrying on `the upper end 4thereof a laterally extending hand1e,'a tubular member of inherent 'resiliency bowed intermediate its ends into a sub- Thus the legs of the ridercan conveniently embrace the member and atrthe i stantially vU-shaped formation and mounted on lthe device rearwardly of the upright handle carrying member with the end sections thereof Vextending substantially horizontally in vertically spaced 'apart' relationship and with the intermediate bowed portion projecting forwardly of the device and contacting the upright handle oarryingmember, means securing the bowed con Y tactin'g"portionlof the tubular member to the upright handle carrying member, means securing the. lower end section ofthe tubular member to other and are Verticallyspaced apart. Toi receive Y' theseparts inV adjusted position, one or: more bolts 60 are employed which extend through Y 4registering holes in thetwo members. Preferably two suchbolts are used'as shown and they are securedsin .place against unintentional removal It is evident that when the 32 and his feet arranged side by side on theVV elevated'po'rtion Mbehindthe handle supporting y e vEither oneV or both hands grasp .the handle 26;' Byt leaning or swaying'fromsideY 'tokrsidc while' in movementthe direction in which the'runner is advancing Ycan be changed.'Y The Yfour *points of contact provided .bythe seat,

handle, foot resteand leg brace assure completev control overV the device,V At anytime the rider "may raise himselflto' a standing position Yand while in this position the leg. brace formed by the seat supporting member will assist Virrmaintainf ing tlieriders balance.

What Iclaim isi A skiing device comprising, in combination, a

single elongated runner having a widthapproxi'- mating twice the width of a shoe worn by therider Y thereof, an upright member secured yat its lower endto the runner approximately half-way between the ends, thereof and adapted to carry a handle on `the upperjend, a cylindricalY frame n 'member bentV into Ya'. generally U-shaped. formation mounted on .the'skiscooter rearwardly of the Vmupright member in the vertical planeof theY l longitudinal median line of the runner V'andwith the' runner, the upper end section of. the tubular member forming a support for a seat and by virtue .of its inherent `"resiliency imparting a springing movement to the seat, andthe diameter offjthe tubular member being substantially less than'the width of the runner whereby a rider may with` both .of his;feetjontheV runner straddle the tubular member and guidethe movement of the device.""V

V3. A skiing device comprising, in veemigration,

a single. skirunner having a width`V substantially twice that of a s hoe worn bya rider of the device, a substantially upright member secured at its lower end'to the runner approximately mid-way between theerlds thereof and carrying a laterally extending handle Aon the Yupper'V end thereof, a seat', a tubular member of inherent resiliency bowed intermediate itsffends finto a U-shaped n 'formation and ycarrying the seat on one end thereof, means securing the other' end of the U-shaped vtubular member to the runner rearwardly of the upright handle carrying member'so that the tubular member extends in. theV vertical plane of the longitudinal median line of the runner with the intermediate bowedportion thereof contacting the 'handle carrying member and with the seat supported end thereof disposed in spaced relation'above therunner for free exing'movement relativethereto, means securing the contacting portion ofthe U-'shaped member to the handle carryingcmember, the resilient'tubular member having a diameter substantially less than that of the iunneifwhereby thelegsuofl the Yrider may with both of his'feetfon .theV runner straddle the tubularrnember andpguidelthe movement of the device.A Y Y f n n o'rfro H. DUNKEL.

Y Y RErEnENoEs CITED The'following references are of record in the file of .thislpatent;.I

UNrTEDsTAfrEsrATENTs '-lthe end sections thereof projecting rearwardly in Number'f" Y, l Name Date lvertically spaced apartV relationship, Vmeans con- 435,944` 'iNordenstromV Sept; 9, 1890 nectingthe closed end of the frame member to 70` 1,142,799 Y VConwayf June 15, 1915 'tliieupright member intermediate the height'of 2,062,953 1 LVS/Talrgo' Dec. 1, 1936 teflatter, and means securing the lowerhorii A fzontal end sectionofthe frame member tothe t ATENTS runnerrearwardlyrof the upright membergthe Number :x l A`1Country Date diameter. of theframe Y'member.beingfconsider--75 24,8.10'11 Y Sweden .ena- M Jan' 20J 1894 

